The nonprofit organisation that started last year has since donated over 70 pairs of shoes to children in need.

“No child should be hindered from excelling academically because they don’t have the proper necessities like proper shoes,” said NPO chairperson Soraya Crowie.

Soraya Crowie, Clara Klink, Saartjie Jonas, and Vernice Shaw. Photo: Casey-Lee Anthony

The NPO has four full-time members and has since grown its sponsorships as well.  The initiative aims to provide school shoes to children in Kimberley and eventually the whole Northern Cape.

The shoe project began with a sanitary towel drive to Green Point Primary School where members of the NPO noticed children with broken shoes.

Brand new shoes for learners at Greenpoint Primary School. Photo: Casey-Lee Anthony

“It looked as if the shoes were talking. I immediately took some names and told my friend that we could not unsee a need”

Saartjie Jonas another member of the NGO also mentioned that school attendance has since grown after starting the shoe project as children feel more confident to attend classes.

The NPO has also been involved in other projects such as a dignity drive where they have to date donated over 2,000 dignity packs to men and women at soup kitchens.

'It was a very emotional experience'

They have since partnered with five soup kitchens in Kimberley – one of the soup kitchens is mainly children.

“It was a very emotional experience seeing the children so excited to receive new shoes and so heartbreaking to see children have been turned away because the NGO had run out of shoes,” said volunteer Yolanda Rosier.

They depend on sponsors for their projects and have only been receiving donations from friends and family.

OFM News/Casey-Lee Anthony dg